Calculating device



A. THOMAS CALCULATING DEVICE Filed Marh 15 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l 50B-VALUE# ss s s s s s 99:5 s s ses s e e 6 als e 6 l771177777717777=7777&7777177177 GIIIIBIIIBBOSBIBB! 8888888!! s i s 99 5ss 5999 s s 9:55 9 515 9 s 9 s s s 5 s 9 s e 99 9 9 9 s 9 a 9 9 s 9 9 99E9 9 9 9:9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 .11111111l111 Massaal la 9 L hun hun ninn n 5 aooooooofooo Oct. 28, 1930. A, THOMAS CALCULATING DEVICE Fileduarh 15, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 28, 1930. A THOMAS CALCULATING DEVICE 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March l5 `the second set bein PatentedOct. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES 4Parr-ENT OFFICE ARTHUR THOMAS, OIF THORNTONHEATH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB TO THE ACCOUNTING & TABULATING CORPORATION OFGT. BRITAIN, ,LIMITEE LONDON, ENGLAND OALC'ULATING DEVICE Applicationfiled Iarch 15, 1928. Serial No. 261,885.

ries ofcards to denote the numbers to be' added. In such a machine, oneadvantage that may be secured by use of a subtraction attachment of thekind to which this invention relates is that by a mere reversal of theparticular card, the number punched thereon is subtracted instead ofadded..

Thus, taking the two series of numbers, 0 to 9 reversed in respect tothe first set, it will e seen that the sum of opposite numbers amountsto 9 in each case; consequently, so long as the numbers aresymmetrically spaced and the Os and 9s coincide when the card isreversed, the passage of the reversed card through the machine willcause the complement of the subtrahend to be added, i. e., thedifference between.

the subtrahend and another number having as digits as many 9s as thereare digits in the subti'ahend.

If it is wished, for example, to. subtract 21 from 56, the latter numberbeing already accumulated in the adding mechanism, the

card, according to the system of operating in question, is reversed andits com lement 78 (apart fromthe correctionsto be exp ained) is thenadded, giving 134 as the sum.

It will be seen, however, that as the result sought is 35, in order tosecure the true result itv becomes' necessary (a) to add a` unit and (b)to eliminate the digit 1 on the left, this requirement being effected badding as many 9s within the capacity o the machine as lieto the left ofthe complement.

Thus, Figure 1 shows a card, A, having perforations, a, b, to denote thenumber, 21, to be subtracted and having also a special perforation, c,the function of which is to cause the subtraction attachment hereinafterdescribed to be operated when the card is.

reversed as shown in Figure 2. In this latter position, the-perforation@a, b, denote the number 7 8,'wliicli would be accordingly added by theaddin mechanism lin the normal manner apart rom the fact that, due tothe perforation, c, the'subtraction attachment comes into operation toeffect the corrections indicated above.

The present invention in its complete form is adapted to erform both thefunctions (a) and but wish it' to be understood that the combinations ofparts claimed or some of them are applicable to systems of subtractingby a ing the complement other than that specically referred to above,which is described in order to illustrate the principle on which theinvention is based. Thus, according to another method, the card is notreversed but wires are led from the 2 and 1 perforations to operate the7 and 8 stops.

In order that the present invention may be clearly understood, referenceis made herewith to the accompan ing diagrammatic drawings illustrativeog one specific form of the invention by way of example Figure 3 showsan end elevation of suilicient'of the adding head of an adding andprinting machine to enable the present invention to be understood; t'Figure 4 shows a corresponding rear elevaion; i

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the slide opera-ting theunit-sector stop and the 0 shutter-operating comb;

v Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the controlling mechanism,

Figure 6 being a corresponding rear view; Figure 7 shows in plan themovable stop in its substraction position in relation to the unit sectorandl shows also the means for' actua-ting the 0 shutter-operating comb;

Figure 8 shows the movable stop in its iormal position in relation tothe unit secor; l

Figure 9' shows the mechanism "with the slider restored;

Figure 10 shows the slider restored and latched;

Figure 11 shows the released slider after making its operative stroke;

Figure 12 shows a view of a O shutter removed from the rest of themechanism,

Figures 13 and 14 being sections of the O shutter on the lines 13-13 and14--14 respectively of Figure 12, the shutter in each case being shownin conjunction with a stop, while finally Figure 15 shows a view a 0shutteroperating comb likewise removed from the mechanism.

In carryin the invention into effect according to 't e form shown, theadding mechanism comprises the usual features wellknown to ex erts inthisv art and described for example 1n the typical machine shown inBritish Patent, No. 26,896 of 1913.

The mainl parts shown comprise a frame, B, havin in articular a rearbar, 2, a connecting` ox, provided with pins, 4, and a sensing-pin box,D, which is raised and lowered periodically by the cam, 1, mounted onthe rotatin shaft, 3. The operation of the connectingox pins, 4, iscontrolled in the usual manner from perforated cards fed into placebetween the sensing-pin box and the connecting box b rollers, E, E', andwithdrawn by rollers, F, F', the pins, 4, serving in a well-known mannerto raise the stops, 5, so as to determine how far a particular sectoradvances on its outward movement before a heel, 6, butts against thecorresponding stop. For the purpose of the following description the tpical sector, 7, shown in Figure 3, may be taken as the unit sector.

As explained above, in order to subtract by adding the complement, it isnecessary to add a unit while in addition 9s must be added to the caacity of the machine in all rows to the left of) the complement of thesubtrahend. These o era-tions are effected by the following mechanisms Ashaft, 8, is rotatably mounted in brackets, 9, attached to the framebar, 2, this shaft carrying a plurality of levers, 10, spaced along itsength to correspond with the adding units, two of which are shown inFigure 4; a lever, 11, fixed to the shaft, 8, at one end is connected bya link, 12, having a slot, 13, to a lever, 14, secured to the mainoperating shaft, 15, the lever, 14, being provided with a in, 16,engaging with the slot, 13, while the link, 12, is associated with aspring, 12, tending to move it to the left in Figure 3. v

As the `substraction attachments are similar, for simplicity only onewill be described. The attachment comprises a bracket, 17, consistin ofavertical plate, 18, having a bentover orizontal portion, 18, at the topand a bent-over horizontal ortion, 18", at the bottom (see Figure 4)this plate being secured to a block, 19, provided by help of the looseside plate, 20, (with pinching screw, 21) with a dovetail groove, 22, onits upper face (see Figure 5) so that the block, 19, may engage with andbe clamped to a correspondin part of the frame bar, 2. An individual sutraction attachment can thus, if desired, be positioned to correspondwith any individual adding unit.

On the top bent-over portion, 18, of the bracket, 17, a bell-crank, 23,is mounted capable of turning about a vertical axis,l this bellcrank(see particularly Figures 7 and 8) having one arm rovided with twostops, 23* vand 23, while tlie other arm has a turneddown portion, 24,(see Figures 5 and 8 pro` vided with a horizontal pin, 25. Similarly, onthe lower bent-over portion, 18", of the bracket, 17, a second bellcrank, 26, is pivoted to turn about a vertical axis having one arm, 27,to which a spring, 28, is secured and a second arm, 29, having aturned-down portion, 30, (see Figures 9 and 11) adapted to engage with apin, 31, on the 0 shutter-operating comb, 32, (see Figure 7 the natureand function of which are explained in detail below.

To operate these bell cranks, a slider, 33, is provided having slots,34, 35, engaging pins, 36, 37, secured to the plate bracket, 17. Thisslider in addition has an upwardlyproJecting lug, 38, adapted to en agewith the pin, 25, o the upper bell-crank, 23, and having also adownwardl -projecting lug 39, adapted to engage wit the arm, 27, of thelower bell-crank, 26. The slider is likewise provided with a pin, 40, bywhich it is moved to the restored osition in a manner to be hereinafterdescribed, and with a pin, 41, secured by a spring, 42, to an elongationof the pin, 37, this spring under stress tending to move the slider tothe right as seen in Figure 5.

Finally, to the plate, 17 a manually-o erable latch, 43, is ivotallysecured at t e point, 44, this latch aving a toe,45, adapted to but-tagainst a corresponding heel, 46, on the slider, 33. The latch, 43, isalso provided with a pin, 43, to which one end of the spring, 28, issecured.

For the common control of the plurality of subtraction units thefollowing mechanism is provided A lever, 47, is secured on the shaft, 8,at an angle substantially 180 from the end lever, 11. With this ever,two latches, 48, 49, (see Fi re 6) are adapted to engage, the latchesein'g pivoted to a block, 50, proyided with a dovetail groove, 51, andpinching screw, by which it is secured to the frame bar, 2, in anydesired position. Both latches, 48, 49, are pivoted at the same point,52, the block, 50, but whereas the one, 48, is single-handed the other,49, is doubleended. The latch, 48, is connected near its latchin end bythe link, 53, having a slot, 54, to t e pin, 55, of the lever, 56,pivoted at 57 to some suitable part of the frame or rigid attachmentthereto, and having a part, 58, as shown in Figure 6, lying in the pathof a special subtraction wire, 59(see Figure 3). A spring, 60, arran edas shown serves to raise the latch, 48. n the other hand, the end of thedouble lever, 49, remote from its latching end is connected by the link,60, having a slot, 61, to the pin, 62, of a lever, 63, likewise pivotedto the frame at 57, and having an end portion, 64, in the path ofanother special wire, 65, which serves in a manner ex lained hereinafterto prevent operation o the subtraction attachment when no card is in themachine and the sensing pin-box rises.

In the type of machine described 1n which the swinging sectors arearrested by one or other of a series of stops, 5, it is necessary toprovide for the particular'case when none of the stops, 5, is lifted, aswithout such provision the sectors, 7, would swin forward and record thehighest possible gure. To overcome this difficulty it is customary toprovide what is known as a 0 shutter for each row of stops, the purposeof this shutter being to hold the sector in the zero position whenno'stop is lifted. Each shut-ter takes the form of a steel plate, 66,(see Figures 12 to 14) provided with pivots, 67, 68, to turn in the s1deplates, 69, 70. That part, 66, of the shutter, 66, to the right as seenin Figure 12, is flat, (see also Figure-13) and is provided with aprojection, 66", adapted to engage with the heel, 6, of the addingsectors and is provided also with a tail, 66. The left-hand part of theshutter, as seen in Figure 14, is provided with a curved portion, 66d,all the stops, 5, with the exception of the O stop being provided with ahump, 71. The end, 66, o the 0 stop in the manner shown in Figure 13when no stop is lifted, the projection, 66", on the shutter, thus beingin a position to engage the heel, 6, of the relative adding sector. Ifthe 0 stop is lifted, it pushes the shutter away and rises into aposition beside it so that in that case both the zero shutter and thezero stop hold the sector in the zero position. If any of the remainingstops are lifted, the hump, 71, opens the shut-ter and thus allows thesector concerned to go forward till arrested by the particular stop inquestion. i

As seen in Figure 4, a series of springs, 72, one for each shutter, arearranged to hold the shutters normally against their respective rows ofstops.

If, however, a total is to be taken, itis necessary for the sectors tosw-ing forward without being-interfered with by the stops, the stroke ofthe sectors being governed by the accumulator wheels in a well-knownmanner. If the shutters are closed the sectors will all be held by theprojections, 66", of the individual shutters and no total can berecorded.

the shutter lies against To operate the shutters,therefore, when takin atotal, a shutter-o erating comb, 32, (see igure 15) is provide which ismounted to slide on the side plate, 70, (see Figures 3 and 4) and isheld to the right by a s ring 73, asl seen in Figure 4. The upper edge fthe shutter is rovided with a number of teeth, 74, engaging respectivelywith the tails, 66, on the shutters. The comb, 32, carries a pin, 75,and with this engages a cam, 76, mounted on a spindle, 77, carried inbearings in the frame of the machine and operated by a lever, 78,connected by a link, 79, to a lever, 80, on the total-taking shaft, 81.When, therefore, a' total is to be taken, the comb, 32, is moved bymeans of the cam, 76, to the left as seen in Fi ure 4, thereby openingall the Vshutters so tat the sectors are free to move as determined bythe accumulator wheels. This comb, 32, by the provision of a pin 31,operated by the bent-over portion, 30, of the bell crank, 26, is madeuse of according to the present invention for opening the shutter andthus allowing all those sectors to the left of the complement of thesubtrahend to swing out to their full extent and thus add the series ofninos required, as explained in the earlier part of this specification.

The operation of the form of the invention described is as followsAssuming the parts of the subtraction attachment are in the' restoredposition as shown in Figure 9, and a reversed subtraction card has beenfed to the sensing position, the sensing pin-bo-x rises in the usualmanner and the special subtraction pin, 59, contacts with the end, 58,of the lever, 56, raising it and thereby pulling down the link, 53, andcausing the latch, 48, to release the lever, 10.

The spring, 12", will then move the lever, 11,-

to the left as seen in Figure 3 and the lever, 10, to the right. Removalof this latter lever lpermits the spring, 42, to operate the slider,

33, the manually-operable stop, 43, being assumed in its inoperativeposition as shown in Figure 9.

As the slider, 33, moves to the right as seen in Figure 9, the lowerlug, 39, is removed from the arm, 27, of the bell-crank .26, therebycausing the bent-down portion,

30, of its arm, 29, to operate the 0 shutteroperating comb, 32, by wayof the pin, 31, this action being necessary to the proper performance ofthe adding mechanisms function before the unit stop is moved. As theslider, 33, continues its movement to the right, the upper lug, 38,comes into contact with the pin, 25, of the bell-crank, 23, therebymoving the latter from the position shown in Figure 8, where the unitsector, 7, butts against the stop, 23", in normal adding, to theposition shown in Fi re 7, with the second stop, 23", in a positlon toengage the unit'sector, 7. The consequence of-this moveizo ment is thatwhen the adding sectors run back, the unit sector travels an extradistance sulicient to cause the addition of one unit to the total.

On each stroke of the machine, the lever, 14, moves to tlie right and byway of the link, 12, lever, 11, shaft, 8, and lever or levers, .10,returns the slider or sliders to the position shown in Fi ure .9, wherethe parts are locked by the latch lever, 48, engaging with the lever,47.

In order to prevent operation of the subtraction attachment, e. g., in apower-driven machine, when no card is present, a special wire, 65, isprovided corresponding to a position on the card which is'neverperforated. In the case, therefore, when no card is in the machine, andonly in that case, the Wire, 65, rises and lifts the end of the lever,63, drawing down the link, 60, and so raising the latched eiid of thelever, 49, which engages with the lever, 47,y and preyents thesubtraction attachment functioning.

It willthus be seen that the subtraction attachment can function only ifthe subtraction ',wire, 59, alone rises. If both wires, 59 and 65, aredown the lever, 47, is latched, and similarly if both wires are upv thelever, 47, is latched.

A single mechanism may thus control any number of subtractionattachments.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention isapplicable to other forms of adding machine than that shown anddescribed while in addition many departuresrcan be made from theparticular mechanism described, and I therefore desire the appendantclaims to be read as broadly as 'the law permits. D

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination in a calculatin machine, aplurality of adding units, eac u nit comprising racks and operatingmechanism in respect to a plurality of denominations, a subtractionattachment and means for positioning said attachment in operativerelation to any one of said units.

2. In combination in an adding mechanism, a plurality of addin units, asubtracltion'attachment for each o said units, means for storing energyin each of said attachments `and means common to all said units foractuating said energy-storing means.

3. In combination in an adding mechanism, a plurality of addin units, asubtraction attachment for each o said units, means for storing energyfor operating said attachments, and means common to said attachments forpreventing release of said s tored energy during a normal addingoperation.

4. In combination in an adding mechanism, a plurality of adding units, asubtraction attachment for each of said units, and

. rendering common mechanism for controlling the operation of saidsubtraction attachments.

5. In combination in an adding mechanism operated by perforated cards, asubtraction attachment and means for preventin operation of saidattachment when no car is present.

6. In combination in an adding mechanism operated `by perforated cards,a subtraction attachment, means operated from a s ecial subtractionperforation in said card fbr ative an dering means for preventinoperation of said attachment when no car is present.

7. In combination, an adding mechanism comprising a series of addingelements, one for units, one for tens and so on to the capacity of themechanism, a subtraction attachment associated therewith operating byaddition of the complement of the subtrahend, said attachment includinsition stop co-operating with saicaddiiig element for units, oneposition for normal adding and the other osition for subtraction, saidother position eing such as to position said addin element to add anadditional unit, toget er with automatic vmeans for moving said stopfrom its normal adding to its subtraction position.

8. In combination, an adding mechanism, a subtraction attachmentassociated therewith operating by addition of the complement o thesubtrahend, said attachment including means for storing energy formodifyin the action of said adding mechanism to a d a unit, to etherwith means for preventing release o said stored energy during a normaladding operation.

9. In combination, an adding mechanism operated by perforated cards, asubtraction attachment associated` therewith operating by addition ofthe complement of the subtrahend, said attachment includin means formodifying the action of said ad ing mechanism to a d a unit andincluding also means for adding as many 9s within the capacity of themechanism as lie to the left of said complement and including also asingle instrumentality responsive to a card perforation for actuatingboth said modifying means and said adding means, together with means forrendering said actuating instrumentality inoperative at will.

10. In combination, an adding mechanism, a subtraction attachmentassociatedtherewith operating by addition of the complement of thesubtrahend, said attachment including meansA for storing energy formodifying the action of said adding mechanism to add a unit and forstoring energy for adding as many 9s within the capacity of themechanism as lie to the left of said complement together with means forpreventing release said subtraction attachment opermeans-actingreversely to said rena tWo-poof said stored energy during a normaladding operation.

11. The combination claimed in claim 10, in which the means for storingenergy is common to both said modifying and said 5 adding means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR THOMAS.

